Protective device for elevators and elevator shaftways



June 4, 1935. l.. A. GAUDRY 2,003,588

PROTECTIVE DEVICE`FOR ELEVATORS AND ELEVATOR SHAFTWAYS Filed lay 16, 1954 INVENTOR, [mais JZ G'aa ATTORNEY.

Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS AND ELEVATOR SHAFTWAYS Louis A. Gaudry, Greenfield, Mass. Application May 16, 1934, Serial No. 725,935

5 Claims.

' My invention relates to improvements in protective devices for elevators and elevator shaftways.

An object of my invention is to provide a yieldable section of floor directly in front of and adjacent to an elevator landing, or opening, which will permit any projecting portion of a person or article, beyond the edge of the elevator platform, to displace, or move, the'yieldable section, or portion of the floor, and travel by it without injury to the person, article, elevator, or adjacent construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide, in coi-operation with the yieldable and movable floor section, latching means for holding the yieldable floor section in its normal, horizontal position, flush with the surrounding floor, and means for freeing the latching means when engaged by any projecting object on an approaching elevator platform, when moving in an upward direction. i

These, and other objects and advantages of my invention, will be more completely disclosed and described in the specification, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

Broadly, my invention comprises a section of floor directly adjacent an elevator shaft opening, which is hingedly secured to the stationary floor construction adjacent thereto, .a counterweight pivotally secured on the hinged floor section, a latch member pivotally secured onthe hinged floor section, latching means secured on the latch member and normally engaged in sockets in the elevator hatchway frame, and operative connecting means between the latch member andthe counterweight, whereby, when the latch member is actuated by an approaching projection on the elevator car, the latching means are disengaged from the sockets and the counterweight is moved into position to assistin raising the hinged floor section.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my invention, partially broken away to show the construction Vbelow the floor level.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, illustrating the normal position of the various parts.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the latching member engaged by a projection on an elevator platform, and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing the hinged'floor section raised to permit the projection to pass by.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout:-

A floor Iis cut away to form an opening 2, in which is movably secured a platform 3 by means of the hinges 4. A front plate, or lip member 5, is secured on the front edge of the platform V3, adjacent an elevator opening 6, having the side 10 frames 1 and 8. An elevator car platform 9 moves in the opening, or shaftway 6, in the usual manner. I0 represents a portion of a load onv the car platform 9, which may accidentally project beyond the edge II of the opening, or hatchway 15 6. The numeral I0 may also be understood to represent any part of a person, such as a foot orY arm, which may project in like manner. The movable platform section 3 is provided with end members I2, in which is pivotally secured, by 20- means .of a shaft I3, a latch bar I4, to which is secured the forwardly projecting shoe I5. Latch kbars I6 are slidably supported in the end members I2 and pivotally secured to brackets Il on the latch bar I4, and normally engaged in sockets 25 I8,v secured Vin the hatchway frames 'I and 8, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.v Brackets I9, secured on the end members I2, provide a pivotal support at 20 for a counterweight carrier member 2I Vto which are secured weights 22.V Angular 30 Stops 23, formed on the brackets I9, limit the outward' throw Vof the counterweight .carrier member 2i, as shown in Fig. 3. An arm 24, secured on the counterweight carrier 2|, is normally engaged by a rod 25, slidably supported in 35.

a sleeve 26, secured in a floor frame member 21, and the rod 25 normally impinges against a plate. 28, secured on the latch bar I4, as illustrated in Fig'. 2. i

In operation, the movable platform section 3 40 is normally heldin a. position in the same plane with the surrounding floor, as shown in Fig. 2, by the latch bars, or rods I6, which are engaged in the sockets I8. As the elevator platform 9 rises, the projecting member I0 strikes the un- 45 der side of the shoe I5, asrshown in Fig. 3, causing the latch bar I4 to revolve on the pivot shaft I3. The latch rods I6 are now withdrawn from the sockets I 8 and the counterweight carrier 2I is pushed by this slidable rod 25 and plate 28 over 5U against the angular stops 23, in which position the weights 22 materially assist in the raising of the freed platform section 3. The projecting member I0 is now permitted to pass freely by, as illlustrated in Fig. 4. The platform is reset by pushing downwardly upon the platform 3, until the rods I6 again engage in the sockets I8. The weight carrier 2| is then moved from the position, shown in Fig. 3, to the other side of its pivot center, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position it approaches a balance with the weight of the platform 3 and latch bar I4, in the closed position, shown in Fig. 1.

Whereas, I have shown my invention as applied to a rising elevator car having a projection thereon, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, that it is equally applicable to a descending elevator car, in cooperation with a projection on the door, by applying the device to the car platform, instead of to the floor. Both conditions may be successfully arrangedby installation of the device on both floor and car platform.

What I claim is:-

l. An elevator safety device having in combination with an elevator shaft and frame, a movable car therein, and floor landing, the floor landing having a movable section adjacent the elevator shaft, a socket member in said frame, a rod on the movable section normally engaged in said socket member for retaining the said section against movement, means on the movable section for withdrawing said retaining rod from said socket member when engaged by an object on the movable car which projects beyond the edge of the car platform when the car is in motion, said means comprising a bar pivotally secured on said movable section, a plate on said bar, a shoe secured on said bar and located close to the elevator shaft, said retaining rod being pivotally secured on said plate, a counterweight forV holding said retaining rod in its platformlocking position, a slidable member between the plate and the counterweight for moving the counterweight when the shoe is moved, the counterweight serving to tilt the movable section upwardly after the retaining rod is released by engagement of an object on the car platform with the shoe. Y Y

2. In combination with an elevator shaft, a movable car therein, and a landing platfornrof a section of the landing platform pivotally connected to the platform, end pieces on the section, a shaft in the end pieces, a turnable bar on the shaft, a plate on the turnable bar, socket pieces on the elevator shaft, latch rods pivotally connected to the plate on the bar engaging the socket pieces for'retaining the section of the landing in its normally horizontal position, a shoe part on said section located close to the elevator shaft and connected to the turnable bar, a slidable rod supported on said landing platform and operatively engaged by said plate, brackets on said end members, a counterweight, pivotally mounted on the brackets, a part on the counterweight engaging the slidable rod, the construction and arrangement of the said parts being such that, when the shoe is engaged by an object on the movable car, the latch rods will be withdrawn, the counterweight moved by the slidable rod actuated by the shoe, and the platform section moved upward.

3. A safety device for elevator shafts comprising, a landing platform having a movable section, latch-securing means therefor for normally retaining the section in a horizontal position, a pivoted shoe part on said section which is located close to the elevator shaft, a plate secured to the pivoted shoe part a slidable rod supported on said landing platform and normally engaging the said plate, a counterweight connected to the movable section and actuated by the slidable rod, when the shoe is engaged by an object on the movable car platform to turn the shoe on its pivot and withdraw the securing latch to permit the movable section to be moved by the car platform, said counterweight serving to assist the pivoted section of the platform away from the elevator shaft, whereby the object on the movable car platform may freely pass by the movable section.

4. In combination with an elevator shaft, a movable car therein and a landing platform, of a section of the platform having a hinged connection thereto, a shoe on the section located close to the shaft, latch means .for holding the section in anV inoperative position, means for rendering the latch means inoperative when the shoe is engaged by an object on the movable car, means for counterbalancing the said section comprising a bracket on the section, a counterweight pivotally connected to the bracket, and cooperative means between the counter- Weight and the Vsaid shoe for moving said counterweight when said shoe is moved, whereby the movable section will be overbalanced and raised by said counterweight.

5. In combination with an elevator shaft, a movable car therein and a landing platform, of a section of the platform having a hinged connection thereto, a shoe on the section located close to the shaft, latch means for holding the section in an inoperative position, means for rendering the latch means inoperative when the shoe is engaged by an object on the movable car,

means for counterbalancing the said section comprising a bracket on the section, a counterweight pivotallyV connected to the bracket, and cooperative means between the counterweight and the said shoe for moving said counterweight when said shoe is moved, said latter means comprising a rod slidably secured in the landingy platform, an arm connected to the counterweight and engaging one end of the slidable rod, the other end of the rod engaging a part that is connected to the shoe.

LOUIS A. GAUDRY. 

